Tune out the noise: Wealth planning for the year ahead

Hear from a panel of experts as they explore how rising interest rates, high inflation and increased volatility are impacting the economy, how family dynamics are changing estate planning and hear some actionable strategies for investors to consider in 2023.

Watch now

Profile

Michael began his career in 1998 as a financial advisor with Merrill and later served as an Administrative Manager, working with financial advisors on risk management. With a passion for understanding private clients and learning their unique stories, Michael ultimately returned to an advisory role to help clients realize their personal aspirations and develop strategies to help achieve their goals and objectives. 

Today, as the senior partner of The Saviano Group, Michael believes that managing risk is a fundamental aspect of wealth management. He incorporates ten years of risk-based experience to help clients select the appropriate level of risk for their unique situations.

An experienced team leader, Michael enjoys building and enhancing long-term relationships with high-net-worth individuals, multiple generations of families and business owners. With an integrated view of all of their resources, he works in concert with their other professional advisors, as needed, to help uncover potential gaps in their wealth management strategies and address their personalized priorities.

An alumnus of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Michael also earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Florida Atlantic University. He holds the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor, CPFA designation. As a Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor, Michael is able to assist with the design and maintenance of employee benefit plans, providing plan sponsors with strategic investment guidance, asset liability modeling and enhanced risk management. He also helps plan participants with financial education and wealth management.

An avid golfer, Michael lives in Boca Raton with his wife, Diane and son, Daniel. He is a member of the Exchange Club of Pompano Beach and in his spare time, volunteers with The First Tee, a youth development organization introducing the game of golf and its inherent values to children.

I follow the deep-seated Merrill tradition of participating in the communities we serve. This drives my interest in spending time volunteering with organizations in our community.

  • LANGUAGES

    English

  • EDUCATION

    Florida Atlantic University

Professional Staff

Supported by the global resources of Merrill, my team is comprised of talented and experienced individuals committed to building strong client relationships based on trust and personalized service.

Additional Resources

The following specialists do not make securities recommendations. Please contact your Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor if you have questions about how a specialist might be able to assist you.

Michael Hagopian

Wealth Management Banking Specialist

Merrill

Corey Bilbo

Wealth Management Lending Officer

Bank of America, N.A.

NMLS #1392632

Sameer Derashri

Wealth Strategist

Merrill

Where do we begin? It starts with you.

At Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, your financial advisor focuses on the things you care about most- family, goals and priorities - even as they change over the years.

Understanding Your Life

Welcome

As financial advisors, members of The Saviano Group are passionate about addressing the sophisticated wealth management needs of affluent individuals and families across the country. We are dedicated to helping you simplify your financial life to pursue your most cherished goals. That may mean saving for a comfortable retirement, providing an education to your children and grandchildren, buying a vacation home, starting a business—the list is endless, and the decision is uniquely your own. Together, we will explore your aspirations and the life you envision. We will work with you to translate your goals into specific investment objectives and a customized wealth management strategy.

Philosophy

Clients are the most important part of our business, and our team was founded on the principle that every client deserves exceptional, highly personalized care and attention to detail. You are our primary focus and we strive to enhance your life through white glove service, steadfast advice and guidance and disciplined wealth management.

Approach

I begin every relationship with a conversation, helping you identify and prioritize which goals matter most to you. Whether it's transferring wealth to the next generation, customizing your financial approach to help you pursue your passions, or providing advice and guidance to help you stay informed, I start by listening to learn more about you and your family.

Drawing upon research in the field of behavioral finance, Merrill developed the Investment Personality Assessment to help me get to know you better as an investor and help you refine your investing preferences. Together, I can help customize your investment approach. Using an understanding of your priorities and investment personality as a foundation, I help you access the full breadth of resources from Bank of America’s banking products and services and Merrill’s investment insights to address all aspects of your financial life.

Your approach to investing

Drawing upon research in the field of behavioral finance, Merrill developed the Investment Personality Assessment to help us get to know you better as an investor and potentially help you refine your own investing preferences. By gaining a deeper understanding of how you think and feel about investing through this assessment, we can customize the financial approach we develop together to help you pursue what matters most to you. Our Investment Personality Assessment is one of the ways to help us get to know you - to understand your goals and priorities. These questions will help us provide you with additional insights and resources.

Understanding your goals and priorities

Your life and goals change. We have tools to help you keep track of these changes so they can be reflected in your financial approach.

Capabilities

My process is designed to help deliver a customized, consistent experience to assist clients not only in wealth accumulation and preservation, but in areas that go beyond investments. My ability to provide access to the investment insights of Merrill, trust and fiduciary services from Bank of America Private Bank, and the banking convenience and lending solutions of Bank of America offers a way to help clients manage all of the pieces of their financial lives. I view myself as a financial resource, helping clients with potential solutions for transferring wealth to the younger generation.

Trust and fiduciary services are provided by Bank of America Private Bank, a division of Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”).

Focus On Individuals, Families and Small Businesses

I believe that financial success can be achieved when you’re able to make investment-related decisions and trade-offs that can help you reach personally meaningful goals. So whether you’re planning your retirement, saving to buy a home or fund a child’s education, I start by getting to know you and how you feel about the following seven life priorities.

  • Health: Managing healthcare expenses, now and in the future
  • Home: Upsizing, downsizing, remodeling or buying a vacation home
  • Family: Taking care of your family and other people in your life
  • Leisure: Spending your free time in meaningful ways
  • Giving: Volunteering, mentoring others and giving to charities
  • Work: Working in retirement, selling or starting a business
  • Finance: Bringing it all together and defining your financial goals

This material should be regarded as general or educational information on healthcare or Social Security considerations and is not intended to provide specific healthcare or social security advice. If you have questions regarding your particular situation, please contact your legal or tax advisor.

Retirement Plan Services

As an employer, a retirement plan is a critical element of your benefits package. Bank of America Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor, Michael Saviano, is part of a select group of Merrill advisors qualified to help retirement plan sponsors design and administer defined contribution plans, including 401(k)s.

We offer the strategies your employees may need to invest for retirement, and the guidance to help them pursue financial wellness. And we offer you the resources and experience to meet this critical employee need in the way that makes sense for your company — strategically, operationally and financially. Drawing on our industry experience and supported by intellectual capital, robust due diligence, and BofA Global Research, we offer retirement plan sponsors a menu of consulting services that includes:

· Evaluation of business requirements
· Keeping the plan current while comparing it with others in the industry
· Construction and reviews of investment menus and creation of a review schedule for funds
· Identifying plan costs and potential savings
· Providing resources and education to help understand fiduciary responsibilities and offering access to administration and record-keeping services
· Education for plan participants





Any information presented in connection with BofA Global Research is general in nature and is not intended to provide personal investment advice. The information does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs of any specific person who may receive it. Investors should understand that statements regarding future prospects may not be realized. BofA Global Research is research produced by BofA Securities, Inc. (“BofAS”) and/or one or more of its affiliates. BofAS is a registered broker-dealer, Member SIPC, and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation. BofA Global Research does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports. As a result, investors should be aware that the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should consider this report as only a single factor in making their investment decision.

Staying on Track

We understand that both your life and the financial markets can change over time. By checking in to discuss changes in your life and revisiting your financial approach, our goal is to help you stay on track to achieve what's most important to you.



Reviews to help you
stay on track

We’ll meet with you to review your goals and the progress you’ve made toward reaching them. We’ll also discuss any adjustments needed to your financial approach to help you stay on course.



    Changes in your life
    and to your goals

    Your life and goals change. As these changes occur, we can update your approach to reflect them.

    #DigitalMerrill

    MyMerrill is your online destination for access to your financial information, secure communications, and a robust offering of tools and capabilities.

    Your advisor is a click away within our site or mobile apps

    You can manage account security with our customizable security capabilities such as touch ID, one time passcode, and other security features

    Access to your complete financial life is available with My Financial Picture, Merrill’s asset aggregation tool

      Let’s Have a Conversation

      Helping you reach your goals starts with getting to know you personally. Through understanding what matters most to you, together I can help you create a financial approach that reflects your personality. Only then can I offer an approach that is built around your life priorities and the advice you need to help you address fluctuations in the market and changes in your life. Let’s work together to help you achieve your goals.

      Why Merrill?

      As Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisors, we will sort through the financial complexities of your life, helping you build a customized investment approach to address your needs and pursue your goals.


      MLBrochure.png

      We put you first, every day.
      Learn more about the dedicated one-on-one relationship you can have with a Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Advisor.

      Anthem video thumb.jpg 
      Transcript of Video 

      No question too big or moment too small
      For every question you have, every decision you make and every answer you need, we are with you to listen and help guide you along the many paths your life can take. Watch this video to see some questions we can address together.


      The Power of the Right AdvisorTM
      Working with a dedicated Merrill advisor means you get personalized investment strategies from Merrill plus access to comprehensive financial solutions only Bank of America can deliver.

      Personalized advice from a dedicated financial advisor.

      We get to know you and your family, your financial situation and what matters most to you.

      A comprehensive approach, built around your life’s priorities.

      Drawing from our experience and the best thinking of Merrill, together we will design an approach that reflects your unique needs, priorities and financial situation.

      Adjusting your investment approach as your life and the markets change.

      We will work to help you stay on track, regardless of what the markets are doing.